Fisher’s Folly

Agas Map

List documents mentioning Fisher’s Folly

List variant names and spellings

Fisher’s Folly was a large house on the east side
of Bishopsgate Street, within the boundary of Bishopsgate Ward. Fisher’s
Folly is not marked on the Agas map. The site of the house later
became Devonshire Square (Harben). The
house stood a few houses away from the Dolphin
Inn.

Stow describes this house in lavish terms, calling it a large and beautifull
house with Gardens of pleasure, bowling Alleys and sumptuously builded (Stow). He also adds that Jasper Fisher
spent all his money building the house and owed money to many people. Fisher’s
extravagance led to locals mockingly referring to the house as Fisher’s Folly. They even wrote a taunting rhyme,
though Stow did not record it. The house had some notable owners, including the
Earl of Oxford. In the seventeenth century, the Earls of Devonshire took over
Fisher’s Folly and made it their town house
(Harben).

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